Medically Unlucky
by Alexandra Scheltov
Summary: Eric and Donna have been happy with their lives together. Throughout their marriage, there have been moments of heartbreak, joy, and tragedy. But despite their bad fate, good lives can still be lived.
1. I Have Some Bad News

A/N: Hello everybody! This is my second time writing a multi-chapter fic for That '70s Show. Perhaps I should give you a bit of a set up.

Eric and Donna both attended the University of Wisconsin, where Eric majored in education, and Donna majored in journalism. They got married in the summer of 1982. They have sinced moved to New York and live in an apartment downtown. Eric is a third grade teacher, and Donna is a writer for Spin magazine. Red and Kitty still live in Point Place, and Eric and Donna visit them as frequently as possible. They have been trying to have a baby for nearly two years.

Small warning: this story is going to get rather dismal and heartbreaking at times. Regardless, thank you for reading, and I hope that you enjoy it.

**February 18th, 1986**

It was a bitter and dreary winter morning. Donna and Eric were rushing around their loft, making sure that they had everything ready for their days.

"Honey, where's my briefcase?" Donna yelled from upstairs.

"It's down here, sweetie. Hey, can you help me tie my tie?" Eric replied.

Donna, dressed in a black pencil skirt and pressed white top, descended the staircase. "I can't believe that you're 25 years old and still don't know how to tie a tie,"

"Well, maybe I do. Maybe I just like it when you help me." Eric winked.

"Why would you like that?" Donna asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it turns me on in a peculiar way." Eric looked at his wife with raised eyebrows.

Donna laughed. "You're so weird," She kissed him as she finished tying his tie. "Remember, we're going to the fertility clinic when I get home from work."

"Damn it, I forgot about that," Eric cursed. "Are you sure that we have to do this?"

"Eric, we've been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half. We need to make sure that everything's alright down there." Donna explained.

"But what if it's not okay?" Eric inquired nervously.

Donna took a deep breath. "I don't know. I don't want to think about that right now. I have a big meeting today. Let's try to stay positive."

"Okay," Eric agreed. He kissed his wife once more before heading off to work

**Later that day**

The air in the doctor's office smelled of human specimen and sorrow. Eric and Donna sat in the waiting room, squeezing each other's hands until they lost color. They had been sitting here for nearly two hours. They didn't want to leave until they knew the results of their tests. They sat in silence, both too afraid to say anything. They gazed into each other's eyes with deep looks full of worry and comfort.

'It will be alright,' they telepathically told themselves.

"Mr. and Mrs. Forman, they're ready for you now," the nurse broke them out of their trance. They tried to relax before entering the room. Their bodies were quivering with nerves.

Their doctor sat in the dingy room with a giant white clipboard. "Ah, Eric and Donna. It's such a pleasure to-," he started.

"Look Dr. Patrick, I don't mean to be rude, but we're really on an edge here. Can we just hear our results?" Eric said uneasily.

The doctor sighed and ran his fingers through his graying hair. "There's no easy way to say this. It's very unlikely that you will ever be able to naturally have a child together."

Eric and Donna's hearts sank in unison. "Wh-what do you mean?" Donna asked.

"Well Mrs. Forman, it appears that you are very fertile. But Mr. Forman, your sperm are not very active. In the sample that you provided, several of them were not mobile at all."

Eric had a look of shock on his face. "So, what does this mean for us?"

"It means that there is still a chance that you can conceive naturally, but it is very low. You should still try, but it's likely that you will never have kids." Dr. Patrick explained.

"So, that's it? There's nothing we can do about this?" Donna inquired.

"Well, it's still possible that one of those little guys will make it through. I would continue to have sex on a regular basis. But it might take years before something happens. I'm sorry." Dr. Patrick advised.

As the news completely sunk in, tears began to roll down Donna and Eric's faces. They couldn't have a baby. They couldn't leave a piece of themselves for the next generation. They couldn't provide grandchildren for Kitty to gush over. They couldn't have somebody to love and cherish.

They walked out of the office with broken hearts and damaged spirits. This was the worse that either of them had felt in a long time. And at that moment, there was nothing that they could do to fix it.


	2. Where Do We Go From Here?

They took a cab home in silence. Trying to make small talk would only worsen their feelings.

The moment that they got back into their loft, Donna burst into tears. "I can't believe that this is happening to us! I'm having a hard time believe that this is the truth."

Eric wrapped his arms around Donna. "I know, honey. I mean, wow. We may never get to be parents."

"What can we do now?" Donna asked shakily.

"Well, we can call my parents and explain why they don't have any grandchildren yet," Eric suggested.

"Your mom will be heartbroken. She'd probably cry more than me." Donna said.

"I know. She's been asking for grandkids since, like, forever. And I'm sure that Red would be disappointed too. I know that he has a soft spot for this kind of thing deep down." Eric stated.

"I'm sure that my parents would want us to have children too. They'd rarely get to see him or her, but they'd still love them nonetheless." Donna spoke of Bob and Midge, who lived in Florida and California, respectively.

Eric stroked Donna's fiery red hair. "I know that this is difficult, but we can get through this. For now, we can just adopt a cat or something."

"A cat can't replace a child, Eric," Donna reminded.

"I know, that was stupid for me to say. But we can't give up yet. Besides, isn't cat litter bad for pregnant women or something?" Eric questioned.

"Yes, I believe that it is. You're saying that like I'm already pregnant." Donna pointed out.

"Well, there's still a chance that we can have a kid. I think that we should keep trying for a while." Eric advised.

"I suppose so. Being told that I can't have something makes me want it even more. It's strange. But how long should we try before we know that it's never going to happen?" Donna asked.

Eric kissed his hand, then placed in on Donna's stomach. "Donna Marie Forman, I swear right here and right now that I will make you a mother. We will keep having lots of sex in order to assure that. And if nothing has happened by the night of my 27th birthday, we will adopt four cats and name them all after Star Wars characters."

Donna laughed. "You're such a nerd,"

"You bet I am!" Eric exclaimed. "Now, do you accept my offer?"

"I do," Donna nodded. "But why does it have to end on your birthday?"

"I don't know. It just feels right. Besides, birthday sex is always amazing." Eric answered.

"Damn right it is! Did I ever thank you for the other night?" Donna caressed his thigh.

Eric smiled. "Yes, I believe that you did. But Donna, I swear that this is going to happen for us. The world is going to be introduced to our nerdy, music-loving, socially awkward spawn."


	3. I'll Be There For You Through It All

**February 21st, 1986**

It had been three days since the new hit, and now it was completely sunken in. The reality of it was cold, but Donna and Eric refused to let each other get depressed about it. However, they still need to tell their friends the full truth, and that was going to be difficult.

The Formans were meeting the Hydes at their duplex on the Upper West Side. The couples visited each other quite frequently despite their jobs and the other engagements that they had to attend to.

"Donna! Eric! How have you been?" Jackie opened the door cheerfully.

"Sup, man," Eric gave Hyde a bro greeting. "I've got some cold ones in my man cave."

"And I've got a fresh bottle of wine in the kitchen. Come on Donna, let's be sophisticated!" Jackie pulled Dinna into the kitchen.

After pouring glasses of the purple liquid, the girls began to catch up.

"So wow, you're 26 now! I'm sorry that we missed your party. Robby came down with something at the last minute." Jackie explained.

"Yeah, it was nothing special. Most of the people that showed up were from work. But I guess that I'm another year older now." Donna swirled her wine glass, the thought of the bad news still on her mind.

"Wow, it feels like just yesterday that we were in high school. Now we're married and have jobs in the big city. Where did all the time go?" Jackie pondered.

"It's crazy. You're a successful fashion consultant, I'm a successful journalist, Hyde's a successful talent manager, and Eric loves his teaching job. And somehow, we're all happily married. I mean, you're younger than me, and you already have a three year old son." Donna uneasily took a sip of wine.

"I know! I was certain that you and Eric would be parents by now. You should get started on that." Jackie nudged Donna playfully.

Donna sighed. She didn't want to be negative about this, but she had to tell the truth. "I don't know if we ever will,"

"Why? Don't you want to have kids?" Jackie asked.

"Yes, of course. I'd like that more than anything in the world." Donna stated flatly.

"Then what's stopping you? Come on Donna, you've got to do what you want to do!" Jackie cried encouragingly.

"I don't know if we can," Donna said glumly.

Jackie looked her straight in the eye. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"The doctors told us…" Donna started to choke up. "It's likely that we will never conceive."

"Are you serious? Oh Donna, I am so sorry!" Jackie wrapped her arms around Donna.

"Thanks Jackie," Donna sniffled. "I mean, it's not completely hopeless. We're going to try as hard as we can."

"Well that's good! It would be wonderful to have another little one running around here, and I'm sure that Robby would love a playmate. But if anyone deserves to be parents, it's you and Eric." Jackie said.

On the other side of the house, Hyde and Eric were talking about less serious things, or at least trying to. The only thing that Eric could think about was his inability to produce children.

"So, did you catch the Rangers game last night?" Eric asked.

Hyde raised his eyebrow. "Did you?"

"No, but those are things that normal guys talk about," Eric stated.

"Man, I hate sports just as much as you do. I mean, the cheerleaders are nice looking, but the games themselves remind me of cult meetings." Hyde explained.

"Oh, yeah," Eric laughed nervously.

"Are you okay, man? You seem different." Hyde observed.

Eric started pacing. "I don't know. There's just stuff going on."

"Eric, you're my best friend. You know that I hate this emotional crap, but please. Spit it out." Hyde advised.

"Well, someone must have kicked me in the nuts one too many times because Donna and I may never have kids," Eric burst.

"Oh man, this is serious. Is there anything that you can do?" Hyde asked.

"There's still a small chance that we can conceive. So we're going to keep trying and stay on the bright side, you know?" Eric whimpered.

"Aww man. Here, let's go back to the kitchen. I'm guessing that our wives are having a similar talk." Hyde directed.

Sure enough, Jackie had made some comfort food for Donna.

"Did he tell you?" Jackie asked her husband.

"Yep," Hyde replied.

"This is just awful! I mean, you were always the parents of our little group." Jackie said.

"It's okay. Thank you for your sympathy. We're going to try the best that we can to make this happen." Eric stated.

"Wait, doesn't that just mean that you get to have a lot of sex?" Hyde inquired.

"Yeah, that's all we can really do," Donna said.

Hyde high-fived Eric. "Aww yeah man! That's awesome!"

Jackie punched her husband on the shoulder. "Shut up Steven, you idiot!" She turned to Donna and Eric. "Just know that we'll do anything that we can to help. You can even borrow Robby if you want to."

"Borrow? Jackie, he's our kid, not a dog." Hyde reminded.

"Oh whatever, Steven!" Jackie scoffed.

"And I thought for a second that we had grown up," Eric said.

"You guys never change, do you?" Donna laughed.

"Would you ever want us to?" Hyde asked in a slightly rhetorical manner.

"No. Things are great the way that they are." Eric insisted.

Donna smiled. "They are. And they'll be even better when we have a third Forman to join us."


	4. A Mother's Love

The couple left the Hyde's house feeling somewhat satisfied. It had felt good to tell somebody their bad news. But there was still an empty feeling in their hearts.

"So, that went better than expected," Eric commented during their cab ride home.

"Yeah. I'm surprised that they were so sympathetic. I know that they've changed since high school, but still." Donna agreed.

"Yeah, I guess that they realized that there's more to life than perfect hair or hating the government. But it still feels like we're missing something, you know?" Eric asked.

Donna nodded in agreement. They were both thinking the same thing, but she was brave enough to say it out loud. "We need to call your parents about this,"

Eric thrust his fist in the air. "That's it! See, you're so smart." He kissed her on the cheek.

"Thanks, but really Eric. I know that it's uncomfortable, but it must be done." Donna replied.

Eric sighed. "I know, but do think that we could wait a few days? Telling Kitty and Red is going to be much harder than telling our shallow friends. My mom is, like, extremely emotional."

"Yeah, I like that idea," Donna stated.

"Well good, that's settled," Eric smiled. "Now what can we do?"

"We can go back home and try again," Donna unfascined the top button of Eric's shirt.

Eric grinned widely. "Man, you are on a roll tonight!"

After four days of mentally preparing themselves, the couple was ready to call Red and Kitty. Although they had practiced with each other a few times, they still felt nervous.

"Oh God," Eric uttered as the phone rang.

Donna took his hand. "We can do this,"

"Hello?" Kitty answered.

"Hey mom. How are you?" Eric asked.

"Hi honey! Your father and I have been doing well. How are you?" Mrs. Forman replied.

"Well, our jobs have been going well and everything. But something bad happened the other day." Donna said worryingly.

"Oh no, what is it? Should I go get Red?" Kitty was rightfully concerned.

"Yeah, this is pretty big," Eric exhaled with uneasiness.

A moment later, Red came to the phone. "Hey son," he said gruffly.

"So honey, what is it? Did you get robbed or something?" Kitty inquired.

"No, it's something worse than that," Donna stated.

"Oh god, is this sad news? Don't you cry enough as it is?" Red grumbled.

"Geez dad, that's so comforting," Eric said sarcastically.

"Honey, can you please just tell us what's wrong?" Kitty asked.

"Alright, this is a hard thing to say. But we went to the doctor's about a week ago. And-," Donna began to tear up.

"You may never have grandchildren," Eric finished.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. "What?" Red and Kitty asked in unison.

"Our doctor told us that it was unlikely that we would ever have children," Donna explained.

"Oh my God," Kitty cried. "That's terrible news! I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault, mom. But this has been hard to deal with." Eric said.

"I can't imagine the pain that you're feeling right now. This is tragic." Kitty began to sob.

"It's okay, Mrs. Forman. We're trying to move past this. Besides, it's not completely hopeless. There's still a small chance that we'll have a kid." Donna assured.

Kitty's crying faltered. "Really? I'll still get to get to be a grandma?"

"Maybe. We're going to keep trying for a while." Eric stated.

"Aww, you're the best son a mother could ask for," Kitty cooed. "But Eric Albert Forman, if you don't give me a grandchild, then so help me-"

Red took the phone. "Son, I'm sorry to hear this news of yours. It would be nice if you could have a dumbass of your own. But, no pressure or anything."

"Geez, thanks dad," Eric said,

"Hey, I'm serious!" Red insisted.

"Oh shush you two," Kitty interjected. "Alright honey, we have to go now. We are sorry about this, but we'll be thinking of you."

"Thank you! Goodbye." Eric hung up the phone..

"Well, that wasn't too awful," Donna commented.

"Yeah," Eric agreed. "I thought that my mom would be more hysterical."

"Well she did cry," Donna pointed out.

"Yeah, but anybody would cry at new like this. But, we still need to move forward." Eric started to unzip his pants. "So, do you want to take another shot at it?"

"Here? Now? Why?" Donna questioned.

"Why not? The couch is comfortable, isn't it?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, okay," Donna shrugged. They stripped each other before colliding onto the couch.


	5. Another Year Older, Another Year Wiser

A/N: Thanks for reading! I should warn you that this chapter contains some M rated material, and that most of it is smut. Still, I hope that you like it.

**March 18, 1987**

It had been over a year since that life changing trip to the doctor's office. Donna and Eric had been hard at work trying to make a baby, but nothing had happened yet.

"So, this is the day. After tonight, we can stop having unprotected sex." Donna said as she brought Eric his birthday breakfast,

"Ah damn it," Eric slammed his fist on the table. "But seriously, I think that tonight will be in night."

"Eric, you think that every night is going to be the night," Donna laughed.

"Yeah, but tonight is my birthday!" Eric exclaimed.

"It didn't happen on your last birthday, or on my birthday either," Donna pointed out.

"Oh whatever! Stop being so negative. Besides, maybe my little guys like to work under pressure." Eric stated.

"That's a strange-," Donna started.

Eric put his finger against Donna's lips. "Shh, no more doubts. Just shut up and kiss me."

Donna did just that. "Fine, I won't say anything else. Just make sure to get home promptly tonight. I've got a surprise for you."

Eric cheered like a small child. "Aww yes! What kind of surprise? Is it a sexy surprise?"

"I can't tell you! That's something you'll have to find out on your own." Donna playfully booped his nose.

"But don't you usually get home after me? How will you be able to set something up?" Eric asked.

"Don't question it! Just enjoy it." Donna kissed his cheek.

**Later that night**

Eric came home to find the entrance of the apartment sprinkled with rose petals.

'Aww man, roses? When will Donna understand that men don't like that stuff?' Eric thought. 'Hey, that doesn't matter! I get to have birthday sex.'

Eric followed the trail of flowers. He opened the door to the bedroom to find it full of sensual candles and memorabilia of nerdy things that he liked. The bed was made up with gray satin sheets. The only thing that was missing was his wife.

"Hello?" Eric called.

Donna came up from behind and hugged him around the waste. "Hey there, birthday boy. Are you ready for your present?"

"Oh, yes," Eric replied.

"Turn around and look at me," Donna demanded. Eric rotated. She was clad in a tight red and black garter slip.

"Oh momma," Eric was practically drooling.

"I'm glad that you like it," Donna began to run her hands all over his body.

Even a beautiful woman couldn't keep Eric from wondering about the toys that decorated the room. "What is this other stuff?"

"Material presents. I thought that you would also like something tangible." Donna explained.

"Well, I can touch you," Eric put his hands on Donna's hips.

"Hey, if you don't like them, we can always give them to our future kid," Donna said.

"No, I want the stuff. Besides, what if we have a girl?" Eric stated.

"That shouldn't matter. Any kid that we have is going to inherit your geekiness. Now, let's get down to business." Donna pushed him gently onto the bed.

"Oh baby. Can I do what I want to you?" Eric asked.

"Well yes, of course! It is your special day, after all." Donna replied.

Eric grinned smugly. "Go get my birthday cake,"

Donna came back a moment later with the chocolate frosted dessert. "Want do you want with this?"

"You'll see. Now, let's take off our clothes and get to it." With that command, Donna climbed on top of the birthday boy. After taking off each other's garments, they nakedly co-mingled.

"That was beautiful, as always," Donna commented once they were done.

"Oh yeah. 27 is going to be a great age." Eric said.

"So, why did you want this cake for?" Donna asked again.

"Because," Eric took a handful of cake and spread it on his bare stomach. "We're going to eat cake."

"Well, this is new. But I like it." Donna took a dot of frosting and placed it on Eric's nose. Then, she began to lick the cake off of his body. Once it was clean, she ran her tongue up the side of his body until her lips met his.

"That was delicious," Donna commented.

"Oh yeah," Eric moaned with pleasure. He grabbed more cake and smudged it on to Donna's stomach. "Now it's your turn."

They continued to eat cake like this until it was gone. At the bite of the last crumb, Eric smacked his lips together and collapsed onto the bed. "That was the most delicious cake that I've ever had. Thank you."

"We should definitely do that again, regardless if it's your birthday or not," Donna commented. "Did you have a good one?"

"Most certainly," Eric had a suggestive look in his eyes. "Do you want to try again?"

"Try what?" Donna asked.

"Try to produce a child. After all, it can't hurt to do it again." Eric advised.

"Hey, it's your birthday. Your wish is my command." Donna reminded.

"Oh yes! This will be the time! I can really feel it!" Eric exclaimed before falling into her again.

The night was growing old for the younger couple. After dancing around for a while, they fell asleep in each other's arms. An amazing future lay before them, and they would soon find out that it was all worth it.


	6. Did We Create Something Beautiful?

**April 19th, 1987**

It had been a month since Donna and Eric had stopped trying. Everything had returned to normal, and they were beginning to come to peace with the fact that they would never have a child. They tried not to ruminate on it, but it still caused them to shed a few tears.

Tonight they would be meeting the Hyde's for Easter Dinner. However, nobody knew how to cook fancy food, so they'd most likely end up just sitting around and drinking wine. But they liked things that way. It was simple.

"Donna, are you ready to go?" Eric called from the kitchen.

"Sure, I-," Donna began to replied. She was interrupted mid-sentence by her need to empty the contents of her stomach. She rushed to the bathroom and shut the door.

Eric sighed sympathetically and came to her aid. "Are you alright? Do you want me to hold back your hair or anything?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Donna said. Eric entered the room and pulled her red hair back. He tried to comfort her as she continued to throw up.

"Wow, that's the second day in a row that this is happened. You must have the stomach flu or something." Eric hypothesized.

"Yeah, it must be something like that. I'm sure that it'll go away soon." Donna said as she rinsed out her mouth.

The first hour at the Hyde's was normal. Like what was predicted, bottles of wine were cracked open, and nobody even attempted to cook. The couples split up, and everybody went on with their usual chatter.

Jackie and Donna sat on the floor of the master bedroom. They drank Merlot out of blue wine glasses while catching up with each other.

"So, what's been going on recently?" Jackie inquired.

"The usual. I've been writing a lot, investigating new things, you know." Donna began to feel uneasy again. She clutched her stomach. "Oh no,"

"What is it?" Jackie asked.

"Stomach flu, or something. I've been puking like crazy for the past few days. Can I use your bathroom? Thanks." Donna set down her glass of wine and headed straight for the bathroom.

'Oh God, why does this keep happening?' she thought. 'I do not want to miss work.'

When she returned, Jackie had a look of suspicion in her eyes. "So stomach flu, huh?"

"Yeah, or something. I don't really know. It's probably not too serious." Donna answered.

"Are you sure? It doesn't look like you've touched your wine tonight." Jackie observed.

That was true. The stench of the wine was making Donna nauseous. "Yeah, I don't feel like drinking, so what? Also, the smell is really getting to me. I never realized how strong it was."

"Okay, that's not like you," Jackie knew that something was up. She had felt this way before too, and had an idea of what was wrong with Donna. "So tell me, have you been tired a lot lately? Do you feel achy at all?"

Donna stopped to think for a second. "Now that you mention it, I have been,"

Jackie chuckled with a tone of devilish excitement. "Okay, one last question. Did your monthly gift arrive on time?"

"No, actually, I'm about five days late. Jackie, what do these questions have to do with anything? I-," Donna realized where this was going. Jackie had to be dreaming. There was no way that she was pregnant. "No, I can't be. They said that we couldn't. I, I'm-,"

Jackie was almost in tears now. "Oh my God Donna, I'm so happy for you! I get to be an aunt."

"Bu-but how do we know? It could be anything. It could just be coincidence. The universe could be screwing with me because it knows that being a mother is the only thing that I want in the world right now." Donna began crying too. She put her hand on her stomach, and felt a rush of energy pass through it. "Go get Eric,"

Jackie ran out to Hyde's man cave. "Eric, you're wife needs you,"

"What for? We were about to play pool." Eric groaned.

"Not now! This is freaking important." Jackie insisted.

"Okay," Eric grumbled. Hyde and him followed Jackie back to the bedroom.

Eric's mopey mood immediately changed when he saw the tears streaming down Donna's cheek. he put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey honey. Is something wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Honey, we did it," she choked out happily.

"Yeah, um, we've been doing that since we were 17. I know that girls are more emotional, but still." Eric replied.

Donna laughed. "No, the other thing. The birthday agreement, it worked."

Eric looked shocked at first, but then began to dance around excitedly. "Please tell me that you're not kidding. Oh yes Donna, we have done the impossible! You are bearing my child."

Jackie hit him on the shoulder. "Shh, you'll curse it! While I'm really excited for you both, nothing is definite yet. You need to get that checked out."

"First of all: ouch! Secondly, yeah, you're right. We can't get too cocky." Eric kissed his wife on the forehead.

**One Week Later**

Donna and Eric returned to the hospital where they had first received their tragic news. Donna had taken a series of tests a few days earlier. They were on the edge of their seats, eager to find out if they would be parents.

Dr. Patrick walked into their examination room with a puzzled look on his face. "I don't know how you did it, but you are very much pregnant, Mrs. Forman. Congratulations, you're due in mid-December."

"Oh my God," Donna started crying again. Eric took her hand and shed a few tears as well.

"Now, there are a lot of things that contribute to having a healthy gestation period. You have to eat right and-," Dr. Patrick started.

"Trust me, I've read all of the books," Donna hugged her doctor.

A smug grin appeared on Eric's face. It was time to brag. "Hey doc, what was the percent chance that we would conceive naturally?"

Dr. Patrick looked at his chart. "About 8%,"

"And is that typically low?" Eric asked.

"Yes, very much so," the doctor replied.

"So, does this make me like Superman or something? Or do I just kick major ass?" Eric inquired, feeling extremely proud of himself.

"I admit, this is a rare occurrence. Something out there must really want you to have a child. Good job." Dr. Patrick praised.

"Thank you. We're look forward to these next nine months." Donna said.

The couple exited the doctor's office. The walk to the train station was mostly spent applauding themselves.

"Yes, oh yes! We rock!" Eric cheered.

"Yeah dude, this is awesome!" Donna high-fived her husband.

"Well, teenager-like reaction aside, this is truly miraculous. God, I've waited forever for this." Eric stated.

"Me too. And if anybody ever tells us that something is impossible, we will having living proof that renders it false." Donna said.

Eric nodded. "This has been the happiest day that I've had in awhile. I can't wait to embark on this adventure with you. It's going to be frustrating at times, but it'll all be worth it in the end."

Donna wiped away more tears. "When did we start getting so emotional?"

"Hmm, maybe around the time that we realized our full potentials are professional cry-babies," Eric joked.

"Wow, you're so funny," Donna rolled her eyes.

"Woah honey, what's with the look? I was just kidding. Come on, you always catch my sarcasm." Eric reminded.

"Yeah, well, it's idiotic!" Donna yelled.

Eric stepped back defensively. "Woah, what's with the rage? I'm just acting like I always do."

Donna broke down into a fit of hysterical laughter. "I'm just kidding darling. I love you."

"Let me see that list of symptoms," Eric demanded. Donna shoved it into his hands. "Ah yes, mood swings. Well those should be fun."

"Hey, you were the one that did this to me, mister. You only have yourself to blame." Donna was drunk on her hormones.

"Hey, we were equally responsible for this decision. But let's not fight about this now." Eric advised.

Donna returned to normalcy. "Okay, I'll try not to be crazy. I've just got to try to enjoy this. These next nine months are going to be a roller coaster."

"I know, honey. But this is just the start of an amazing journey. We are responsible for another life. We have the chance to shape someone into a leader of the next generation. And most importantly, we have somebody to cherish." Eric said.

"Damn it Eric, communicating flowery thoughts is my thing," Donna snickered.

"Man, I am getting sappy all of a sudden. It must be because of this news." Eric put his arm on Donna's waist. They walked comfortably together the rest of the way to the station. This was a new chapter in their lives, and parenthood was something that neither of them could wait to experience.


	7. I Have Some Good News

A/N: Hello lovely people! This is going to be the last chapter that I post for a while. I'm going to camp for four weeks starting tomorrow. But, I'll posting again starting August 10th.\

Thank you for all the reviews! They make me unbelievably happy.

I must warn you that this chapter is mostly dialog, and therefore may be a bit lacking in depth. Please don't hate me .

The next morning, the couple still couldn't stop smiling. They had defied the odds, doing something that neither of them thought was possible at first. All the work that they put in had been worth it. They knew that they needed to inform more people of their good news.

"So, how many of our Wisconsin friends do we have to call?" Eric asked over breakfast.

"Well, there's really just Kelso and Fez. Kelso's pretty good about telling us news. As for Fez-I don't know where the hell that kid went." Donna said, handing him a plate of French toast.

"Ah, alright. So we'll tell Kelso. And our parents of course." Eric concluded.

'"Yeah, that should be fine. Wow, I wonder how my dad will react to this." Donna stated.

"He'll probably rent a monkey or something," Eric joked. "But wow, do you realize how happy my mom is going to be? Dear god, she's going to spoil our kid rotten."

"He or she deserves it. We worked hard for this." Donna reminded.

"Damn right we did," Eric agreed. "Okay so, we're making phone calls as soon as we get home?"

"Right. God, I can't wait to tell my boss that I'll need maternity leave!" Donna squealed.

Eric nodded. "I can't wait to tell the kids in my class about the miracle of life,"

"Are you sure that they aren't too young for that?" Donna inquired.

"Donna, this is New York public school. These kids know more than their fare share about sex." Eric insisted.

"Yeah, actually, that makes sense. This is a pretty reckless city. Why are we raising a kid here again?" Donna asked.

"Because suburban living sucks," Eric reminded.

"Ah, that's right. Well, I'd better get off to work. Have a good day, sweetie." she kissed him on the cheek.

When Donna got home from work Eric was sitting on the couch, practically embracing the phone.

"What are you doing?" Donna laughed.

"I'm really excited about this, okay? I know that it's weird." Eric explained. "But oh boy, school was fun today. I teach some very crude third graders."

"Ooh, please tell," Donna sat down on the couch.

"Well first of all, I've never told you this before, but they gawk over the picture of you that I have on my desk. And not in a childish manner either. They constantly comment on your wonderful physical features." Eric said.

"Oh God. Aren't they like eight?" Donna asked.

"Eight, nine, eleven. There are some very stupid kids out there. But anyway, when I told them that I was going to be a dad, most of them didn't care. The ones that did were rowdy about it. That doesn't matter though." Eric informed.

"Wow, I never knew that your class was that unruly," Donna commented.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that they give me the rambunctious kids on purpose. But anyway…," Eric held up the phone. "Let's get to this."

They called Kelso first. The phone rang with a crackling static for a while. Just before it went to the machine, he picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey Kelso. How are you?" Eric asked.

"Hey man! Well, I got fired from my job the other day. Apparently, it isn't funny to put firecrackers in the dog kennels. But anyway I'm-," Kelso started.

Donna put her hand over the receiver. "Why do our friends still act like they're 10?"

Eric sighed. "They're just dumber than us,"

"Ah, that's it," Donna pointed at him, as if to agree with his statement. "I wonder how Kelso lasted this long as a cop."

"Me too. But anyway, let's get to this. He can't talk forever." Eric and Donna put their ears back up against the phone.

"-and then I had to bury it. How are you guys?" Kelso finished.

"Wow, that's great man. We're doing fantastic. We called because we have some great news." Eric stated.

"Donna finally got knocked up, didn't she?" Kelso guessed.

The couple were stunned for a moment. They couldn't believe that their dumbest friend had been able to guess their news so quickly.

"Woah, I guess that you aren't a complete idiot. But yeah, I am very much pregnant." Donna announced.

"Hey, I'm not just a pretty face," Kelso said. "Congratulations guys. Parenthood can be tough, but it is so rewarding."

"Thanks man. Well, we just called to tell you that. We've got a few more people to inform." Eric was about to hang up.

"Wait!" Kelso shouted. "Can I be in the delivery room when your kid is born?"

Eric and Donna gave each other confused looks.

"Umm, is that even a thing?" Eric asked.

"Yeah man! Plenty of people do that." Kelso claimed.

"We'll think about it. Now we've gotta go." Donna hung up the phone. She glanced at Eric. "So..."

"Okay, I do not want Kelso in the room when our kid is born," Eric stated.

"Me neither. But I'm sure that most of our friends will want to be there." Donna said.

"Ah damn, you're right. Well, is that really a bad thing?" Eric wondered.

"No, it's touching, actually. So, what the hell? They're all welcome." Donna professed.

"Okay. Wow, we're 27, and we still can't go anywhere without our gang." Eric laughed.

"Yeah, but that's something to be proud of. Not a lot of people remain close to their friends after high school." Donna mentioned. "But anyway, let's get to calling my dad."

"Oh God, Bob," Eric shuddered. "He's going to make weird jokes."

"I know," Donna sighed as she dialed. "I'll try to keep this as short as I can."

After a few rings, Bob picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey dad," Donna greeted.

"Donna! How are you?" Bob asked.

"Pretty good. How's Florida?" Donna inquired.

"It's nice," Bob answered.

"That's good. Dad, we called you because we have some important news." Donna declared.

"What is it?" Bob sounded apathetic.

"I think that you'll want to hear this, sir," Eric insisted.

"We're having a kid!" Donna announced.

There was a pause for a moment. "My baby girl is pregnant?" Bob said with a tone of shock. "I think that I'm gonna cry."

"Oh Bob," Eric chuckled.

"Hey, don't you say anything, smart ass! This is one of the proudest moments of my life." Bob sniffled.

"Thank you dad," Donna blushed.

"No, thank you Donna! I get to be a pop-pop." Bob praised.

"Yes, this is a great thing for all of us. We expect that you'll want to be there, so the due date is December 21st." Eric informed.

"I can't wait. I'm glad that the two of you won't be childless." Bob stated.

"We are too. Well, that's all that we had to say. Have a good evening, dad." Donna hung up. She sighed with exhaustion, resting her head on Eric's shoulder. "I'm glad that's over with. I wonder how Bob is going to act around our kid."

"He'll be a clown, literally," Eric commented. He twirled Donna's hair for a while, and thought about how everyone else would treat their child. "Oh God, how is Red going to act around our kid?"

Donna laughed. "Well, I hope that he won't call our kid a dumbass every 10 seconds." She yawned. "Thank God we only have one more person to call."

"Yep, and this call is going to be my favorite! But let's make this simple." Eric stated.

Donna nodded in agreement as she dialed the phone. "Your mom is going to freak out the most anyway,"

Donna and Eric squeezed each other's hands as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Kitty answered.

A bit smile crept over Donna's face."They were wrong,"

"Okay, not that simple," Eric whispered to Donna.

"It's better than dragging it out," Donna whispered back in response.

"Oh, hi Donna! Who's wrong?" Kitty asked.

"The doctors," Donna said.

Kitty gasped. "Does that mean-,"

"I'm going to be a dad!" Eric screamed. Donna looked at him with distaste.

"What, you got to say it all of the other times!" Eric argued.

Kitty started weeping. "Oh wow. I knew that things would work! I'm so happy for the two of you."

"We're really happy too," Donna began to shed some tears.

"You'll have to see me before he or she is born. I'll want to see that big belly of yours. Gosh Donna, that feeling of having life inside of you is euphoric." Kitty said. "And that's not a crazy thing to say! You'll know exactly what I mean in a couple of months."

Eric was crying now too. "Damn it mom, you've made me all emotional! But we are overjoyed about this."

"And you should be. This is almost a miracle." Kitty said. "Eric, your father is out right now, but I'll tell him about this later. I'm sure that he'll be happy too."

"Alright," Eric replied. "Well, we should probably go clean up our faces. I love you, mom."

"I love you too, honey. And thank you for giving this to me. I don't know where the hell your sister is, but she sure does have a lot of explaining to do." Kitty stated.

"Hey, you never know. She probably has some bastard children of her own." Eric half-joked.

"Oh God, I hope not," Kitty laughed nervously. "Well, you two have a wonderful trip ahead of you. I'll try to visit you in the next nine months."

"You're welcome whenever, Mrs. Forman. Have a good evening." Donna placed the phone back on its receiver.

"Phew, all that talking made me tired," Eric exhaled.

"Me too," Donna leaned back on the couch. "Let's never call three people at once again,"

"Agreed. Now, let's lie in bed and look at the stars." Eric advised.

"Stars?" Donna questioned.

"Stars, city pollution, whatever," Eric kissed her.

"We didn't eat yet," Donna reminded.

"Oh, damn," Eric punched the couch. "Can we just eat crackers in bed or something?"

Donna grinned. "That sounds absolutely perfect,"

The couple took a box of Triscuits and their spirits up into bed with them. The first step of this adventure had begun, and they had no idea how much happiness would befall them over the next few months.


	8. Like the Rush of a Freight Train

**May 4th, 1987**

Morning in the concrete jungle was as loud and busy as ever. The early May air was full of optimism. Today was an important day for the soon-to-be parents.

"Honey, you know what today is, right?" Donna asked as soon as she saw Eric.

"Yeah, it's Star Wars day!" Eric exclaimed.

Donna raised an eyebrow. "Are you making that up?"

"No, I'm serious. It's May the 4th be with you, and also the day of our first ultrasound. Did you really think that I would forget about that?" Eric kissed Donna on the forehead.

"Alright, you dork," she playfully hit him with a newspaper. "This is so exciting!"

"I know. We'll get a glimpse of life in the making." Eric said.

"And we'll cry for the like millionth time in a month," Donna added.

"Yeah, we should get that under control," Eric chuckled. "But really, I don't mind it. I'll cry a river before this is over. That doesn't make me any less of a man."

"It absolutely does not. It's quite sweet, actually." Donna agreed.

The couple finished their breakfast and headed off to work. This was going to be a big day for Donna. She was going to tell her boss that she was pregnant.

'Oh God, I hope this goes well,' she thought. She planned on announcing her news during her lunch break, which resulted in her being distracted the entire morning. She sat in cubicle, trying and failing to come up with an idea for a story.

'Damn it, why can't I come up with an idea? I could write something related to pregnancy or working mothers. But this is a music magazine. Although I'm sure that they write stuff like that in _Rolling Stone. _That's a good band, too. Whatever happened to all of the bands that I liked growing up? It's all pop now. Well, there are still a lot of rock bands around. I'll make sure that my child only listens to good music.' Donna put the brakes on her train of thought. 'Wow, I'm getting off track. Is ADD a side effect of being pregnant?'

Soon enough, lunchtime rolled around. Donna took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing,"

She knocked on the door of her boss's office. "Hello?"

"Who is it?" her boss replied.

"It's Donna. May I come in?" she asked.

"Of course," her boss answered. Donna entered the room. The walls were lined with rock posters and plaques of various accomplishments. There was a large brown desk in the middle with a nameplate that read _Simon Paxton_. A man with spiky black hair and a warm smile sat behind that desk.

"How are you today, Donna?" he inquired.

"I'm doing well, Mr. Paxton. Listen, there's a reason why I came in here today. I have something that I need to tell you." Donna stated.

"Honey, there are only two reasons why a woman employee of mine would come to my office if I didn't call them. And I know that you're happily married, so congratulations on your baby." Mr. Paxton said.

"Wow, thank you. That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be." Donna admitted.

"Dude, this is a music magazine. We don't give a shit as long as you love to rock and can write well. And when the time comes, you'll get two months of paid maternity leave." Mr. Paxton revealed.

"Why thank you, again. I should probably get back to work." Donna headed towards the door.

"Alright, good job! You know, you are a really great writer. And I hope you have a girl. You're too good to have a dirty, rotten son." Mr. Paxton said.

Donna procrastinated for a few more hours before leaving the office. She managed to come up with a few story ideas, but none of them were detailed or logical.

The thought of the ultrasound were clouding Eric's mind as well. About halfway through the day, he gave up trying to teach and instructed his kids to draw with crayons.

'What if our kid is horribly deformed? Or what if they have some incurable disease? Or what if we miscarriage?' he grabbed his hair in worry. 'Oh God, what if they end up being as dumb as Kelso?'

He consulted Donna before the appointment began.

"I'm sure that it'll be alright. Genetic mutations are rare. Don't think about it too much. Third graders are a bit old to spend 3 hours drawing with crayons." Donna advised.

"Ah, you're right. It's bad to assume the worst. Our kid is going to be awesome!" Eric declared.

Donna and Eric's doctor returned to the room. "Well, if it isn't the miracle couple. How are you feeling today?"

"Well, other than the nausea and tenderness, I feel great," Donna answered.

"Excellent," Dr. Patrick asked a few more routine questions before it was time for the ultrasound.

He squeezed a bit of liquid onto Donna's stomach. "Ooh, that's warm," she commented.

"Now, it's too early to determine the gender. But you will get a look at the baby's profile." Dr. Patrick explained. He placed the transducer onto her stomach. Immediately, a loud whooshing sound filled the room.

"Is that-," Eric began.

"Yes, that's a heartbeat, and quite a strong one. That's an excellent sign." Dr. Patrick commented.

The couple was speechless for a while. They looked up at the screen, marveling at the little face that it displayed.

"This is truly incredible," Donna was choked up.

"I can't believe that there's a living human growing inside of you," Eric tenderly pushed back his wife's hair.

Donna laughed at his statement. "You're so weird,"

Eric shrugged. "I don't know how to be any other way,"

"You two are quite...charming," Dr. Patrick said with a slight tone of revolt. "Well, that's about all there is to see. There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary. I'll see you next month."

They headed home once Donna changed into regular clothes.

"So, I'm starting to not like that man," Eric remarked, referring to Dr. Patrick.

"Me neither. He's a bit too abhorrent." Donna agreed.

"Well, I don't really know what that means. I'm going to guess that it's something along the lines of he sucks. But come on, it's May the 4th be with you! And our kid isn't going to be a mutant, so I say that we celebrate." Eric prompted.

"How?" Donna inquired.

"With cake, of course!" Eric beamed.

"Yes, I love that idea! We should eat cake. And ice cream, chocolate, pickles. Maybe a bit of meat…" Donna started to trail off.

"Ah, I see that you're getting cravings," Eric observed.

"Hey, I've only got seven more months to eat whatever I want to. I'm going to enjoy it." Donna stated.

"And you should," Eric kissed her on the cheek. They raided a few stores before returning to their loft. They spent the night curled up in bed, eating until they both felt like they were going to burst.


	9. You Gave Me Butterflies at the Mailbox

**August 15th, 1987**

The summer months had be sweltering. It was uncomfortably hot, and new discoveries were being made.

Eric and Donna had found a new doctor: a younger one, with a cute Russian accent. They watched as their child grew larger. They had the opportunity to know if it was a boy or girl, but declined. Everything else up to this point had been a bit of a surprise.

Despite all the changes, their routines remained the same. They would go to work, come home, eat, and lie in bed together. They'd go out occasionally, but they wanted to enjoy each other's company during this precious time. Eric's breath was taken away by Donna's maternal essence. She was a provider of life, and had never looked this majestic in her entire existence.

Donna came down the stairs after Eric, like she normally did. "Good morning!"

"Hey!" Eric looked Donna up and down like her usually did. Her bump was pressed tightly against her skirt. It looked like it was about to rip open. "Whoa, you are really getting big." Eric commented.

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," She rolled her eyes. "But seriously, it's about time that I buy maternity clothes. I'm practically bursting out of my clothes."

"It's beautiful, though. You do have a sort of angelic glow thing going on." Eric pushed her hair behind her ears.

Donna laughed. "It's the sweat,"

"No, really. Your cheeks have gotten rosier. You're radiant with new life." Eric insisted.

"Honey, I appreciate what you're trying to do. But it's like 90 degrees outside, and it doesn't help that I'm almost five months pregnant." Donna said. She knew that pregnancy was seen as a precious gift by many people. But her body was on overdrive, working hard to sustain two lives. The mugginess only elevated her feelings of discomfort.

"Fine, whatever, deny it all you want!" Eric replied while wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're still gorgeous."

Donna sat at her desk and chewed on the end of her pen. This afternoon, she was presenting a meeting about recent changes in the music industry. Usually, she would've had no problem with this. But she was feeling especially uncomfortable today. Her lower back was particularly bothersome, and her forehead had become the source for a river of sweat.

She sighed heavily. 'Oh God, this isn't good. How am I going to get through four more months of this?'

She glanced over her notes at least ten more times before the meeting began. She tried to channel her confidence and remember how strong she was. She would try to make it terse in order to finish before she crashed.

The meeting room was made entirely of glass. She cautiously opened the door and was cordially greeted by her co-workers. The friendly atmosphere of the room almost made her forget about her bodily problems.

She talked for nearly half an hour without a problem. Everybody was intrigued by the topic of her presentation. But then that sensation came back into her body. She started to feel dazed and disoriented. Still, she pushed through the last 20 minutes of her meeting.

At its end, she exhaled with relief and returned to her desk. She received a round of applause, but did not want to stick around to hear feedback. She desperately needed to sit down.

Fifteen minutes later, she received a phone call from her boss. "Donna, could you please come to my office?"

"Sure thing," Donna gulped. 'Oh God, did I do something wrong? I tried to be as professional as I could.'

"You're not in trouble," Simon Paxton announced as she entered his office. "Your presentation was great. You just seemed, for the lack of a better term, out of it."

Donna nodded. "I've been feeling that way a lot recently,"

"Is it because-," Mr. Paxton pointed towards her abdomen.

"Yes. I'm trying not to let it affect me too much. I want to work as hard as I did before." Donna replied.

Simon smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, Donna. Your body is changing. You're a vehicle for new life, and you're driving towards a gorgeous daughter."

"Or son," Donna added. "Why do you think that I'm going to have a girl?"

"You don't seem like the type of woman that could raise a son. They're unruly and misbehaving. Girls are more polite, and I think that you deserve that. Plus, isn't your husband a bit of a wimp?" he asked, raising an eyebrow bemusedly.

Donna laughed. "I can't argue with that. Thank you, Mr. Paxton."

"You're welcome, Donna. Now please, take the rest of the day off. You need a break." Mr. Paxton ordered.

Eric and Donna had another quiet evening together. They raided their freezer and buried themselves in the fluffy covers of their bed.

"So, my boss thinks that we should have a girl," Donna informed Eric as he fed her a spoonful of ice cream.

"Really? I haven't thought much about the gender." Eric confessed honestly.

"Me neither. I'm not sure if I'd prefer a boy or a girl." Donna said.

At that moment, she felt a sensation in her stomach. She wondered for a moment if it had been something she ate. But, this felt more like kicking.

"Oh my God," she put her hand on her stomach.

"What is it?" Eric asked.

"It's moving. Our baby is moving." Donna announced, her voice trembling.

Eric's breath was taken away for a few seconds. He placed his hand on Donna's stomach. He felt something press up against it, and could sense a few beats of movement.

A few tears trickled down Donna's face. "This feels so weird. Yet, it's heavenly, like a feeling that should be exclusive to goddesses."

"God, you are so good with words," Eric kissed her.

Donna sighed. "I know that this moment is a once in a lifetime experience. But it also feels overwhelming, like my hormones are going crazy."

"They are. Your body is changing, after all." Eric reminded

Donna put her head on her pillow and gazed over at him. She realized that she had never asked Eric about how he felt about parenthood. "So, are you okay?

"What do you mean?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, you're going to be a parent too. Are you scared?" Donna inquired.

"No, not really. I think that it's going to be wonderful." Eric replied.

"Good," Donna ruffled his hair a little bit. She let him curl up with her as they finished their carton of ice cream. Eric rested his head on her shoulder and began to contemplate things himself.

He really was amazed that they had made it this far, not just with the baby, but with their relationship in general. He thought that he would've screwed up again somewhere along the line. But now, he knew that he was safe. This journey had been extraordinary so far, and the best was yet to come.


	10. I'm Going Home

A/N: Hello my dears. Thank you for all the reviews! They inspire me.

I thought I would inform you that the next three chapters of this story were originally supposed to be one chapter, but I decided to break it up because it would be too long. Regardless, I hope that you enjoy this :)

**November 23rd, 1987**

The Thanksgiving season was bustling in New York. People were scrambling to find the perfect turkey, and the airports were flooded with people arriving to and departing from the great city.

The Forman child was only about a month away from being born. Donna and Eric had begun to prepare by assembling furniture and painting the nursery. They had decided on a nice shade of blue, even though they were not certain of the baby's gender yet.

"Are you sure about this?" Eric asked. "We can't go back once we've started. What if we don't have a boy?"

"That doesn't matter," Donna assured. "I find the whole color/gender association to be weird. Besides, blue is a calming color."

"Alright, honey," Eric agreed. "And I know that you're strong and everything, but I think that you should leave the painting up to me. I don't want the fumes to make you sick."

Donna nodded. She slowly moved into the living room and placed herself on the couch. She had more trouble moving nowadays. She was so pregnant that she could barely get up by herself.

She had be lying on the couch for a while before the phone began to ring. She slowly shifted herself upwards and managed to pick it up before the ringing ceased. "Hello?"

"Hey Donna! How are you doing?" It was Kitty. She had been calling periodically over the last few months.

"Hey Mrs. Forman. We've been doing pretty well." Donna replied.

"That's wonderful! Is Eric around?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah, I'll go get him," Donna put the phone down for a second. "Honey! Your mother is calling."

She yelled again a moment later. "Eric!"

He burst into the room, paint staining his shirt. "You couldn't have gotten up and told me?"

Donna looked down at her bump, then into his eyes. "Really?"

"Okay, you have a point there," Eric picked up the phone. "Hey mom,"

"Hello sweetie! Are you coming home later this week?" Kitty asked.

Eric sighed. He had been dreading this call. "I don't think that we can make it,"

Kitty gasped. "But you have to come home for Thanksgiving! I haven't seen you all year."

Eric ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner. "I know, mom. But the baby's almost here. And I don't think that pregnant women can fly in their third trimester."

"That's true," Donna confirmed.

"But, I want to see what Donna looks like before the baby is born! I know that Red and I could have tried to visit New York. But please-," Kitty was almost in tears. "I miss my baby boy."

Eric sat there with a taste of sorrow in his mouth. As childish as it felt to admit, he missed his mother as well. After contemplating all the possible solutions, an idea popped into head. "How about we drive out there? We can bring Jackie and Hyde with us. It'd be like a road trip." He knew that it seemed crazy, but it was the only way that he could see Kitty.

"A road trip? Are you insane? That's like a 14 hour drive." Donna whispered, confirming his suspicions.

"Trust me, it'll be okay," he whispered back reassuringly. He turned his attention back to his mother. "Do you think that could work, mom?"

"Well, it's not the ideal option, but I'm sure that it's possible. Oh gosh, this is fantastic! I'll get to see my little boy after all." Kitty beamed.

"Yeah, I'm excited too. I miss you a lot." Eric replied.

"I've missed you too. It's been far too long since our last visit." Eric agreed with what Kitty had just said. They hadn't seen each other since last Thanksgiving.

"Well, that should change once the baby is born," Eric figured.

"Oh yes, that's right! I probably won't be able to get enough of that little darling." Kitty said cheerfully. "Alright honey, I'll let you go now. I'll see you in a few days. I love you!"

"Bye mom! I love you too." When Eric hung up the phone, Donna was smirking at him. "What?"

"You're such a mama's boy," she laughed.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that! I hope that our kid loves you as much as I love my mother." Eric defended.

"They will, don't worry. We've only got one shot at this, so we're going to do a damn good job at raising our kid." Donna stated.

"Hell yeah! We're going to make sure that he or she is a totally awesome person." Eric declared.

"Totally!" Donna high-fived him. "Now, let's call Hyde and Jackie. I don't know if they'll want to go along with this plan."

After a few minutes of chit-chatting, Eric proposed the idea to Hyde.

"That's a great idea, man! I've always wanted to be in a car for half a day with four other people. That'd be so much easier than flying." he responded sarcastically.

"Come on, man. You're going out there anyway. I thought this could be fun." Eric said.

"Fun? You'd think it'd be fun to drive across half the country with a pregnant woman and a four year old? Robbie's going to kick the crap out of any seat in front of him, and God knows that he's inherited Jackie's ability to never shut the hell up. And if she hasn't already, Donna's going to start having mood swings. She's at that point where she'd scream at every little thing that wasn't to her liking. So, my final answer is no." Hyde explained.

"Wow," Eric sighed. "I can't really argue with that. At least you're still going to be there."

"Of course, man. I wouldn't miss that for the world." Hyde answered.

"Alright, good. Listen man, I should go check on Donna. I'll see you on Thursday." After a quick goodbye from Hyde, Eric put down the phone. He walked back into the nursery, where Donna was examining his paint job.

"So, do you like it?" he asked somewhat nervously.

"Yeah, this is a great color. You did a great job applying it too." she said.

"I'm glad you like it," Eric put his arm around Donna. He also began to admire the dark blue shade. The couple stayed silent for a while, appreciating the peace of the room.

"So, did Hyde say no?" Donna inquired after a few minutes.

"Yeah. It was a long shot anyway." Eric answered.

"Eh, it's better this way. I love Hyde and Jackie to death, but they'd probably start driving me crazy after a while." Donna's voice began faltering at the end of her sentence. She then groaned, putting her hand on her stomach. "Sorry, he or she has been kicking like crazy today."

Eric put his hand on her stomach as well, feeling the vibrations from the movements. The sensation was a sort of indescribable beauty. Creating a new life had given him more of an appreciation for the world. "Woah, that is strong. I know it's like the 500th time that it's happened, but it's amazing. I never realized how precious life was before this."

Donna smiled. "I know. I feel that way as well. But God, I hate that we keep having to call our kid 'he or she'. I just want to know what we're having."

"I know, it bothers me too. But we agreed that we wanted to be surprised about it." Eric reminded.

"Ah, you're right. Besides, there's only a month left until we find out. We can make it until then." she stated.

"Yes, we can. We've been waiting for so long already. It'll be here before we know it." he playfully kissed her.

"And it's going to be fantastic," Donna said. "Now, enough of this baby talk. I'm exhausted."

"Wait, you're exhausted? I'm the one that did all of this painting! You haven't done anything all day!" Eric exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm carrying another person! That in itself is enough to drain me." Donna defended.

"Fair point. Let's get some sleep. We've got a big journey to cow town ahead of us." Eric said.

"You want to leave tomorrow?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, I figured that we could split the driving time between two days. And it wouldn't hurt to get there early." Eric reasoned.

Donna sighed. "That's fine, I guess. I mean, we can easily get out of our jobs. I'm sure that our bosses won't mind us being gone for five days."

"Yeah, exactly!" Eric exclaimed.

Donna rolled her eyes. "I was being sarcastic."

"Oh, come on! You have the chillest boss, like, ever. And I can find someone to teach for me for two days." Eric said.

"Fine," Donna crossed her arms.

"Oh come on, honey! This is going to be fun." Eric grinned, putting his arm back around her waist.

"Don't touch me!" Donna pushed him away.

"What is-," Eric started. He wanted to ask why she was acting so strange, but then he remembered why Hyde had turned them down: mood swings. "You know what? We're just going to go to bed, and decide on what to do in the morning. Okay?"

"Alright," Donna yawned. She was practically falling asleep.

Eric kissed her for the last time that night. He helped her get into bed, and they both fell asleep before their heads hit their pillows.


	11. Life is a Highway

The next morning, Donna woke up to find Eric's arms wrapped around her.

"Good morning," he grinned.

"Hello," she kissed him. "Wow, I haven't been spooned in so long. It feels wonderful."

"Well, I'm glad," Eric smiled. He loved seeing that Donna was in a better mood this morning. He liked feeling her in his arms. It made him feel connected to her.

Donna shifted a little bit. "Sorry, I don't want to crush you,"

"It's okay. I love lying like this. It makes me feel complete." Eric kissed her on the neck. "So, I know that you weren't completely yourself last night. Is it okay if we leave for Wisconsin today?"

"Yeah, I was having a bit of a mood swing last night. It is a good idea to leave today. It'll give us just the right amount of time to get there and settle down." Donna said.

"Wonderful!" Eric exclaimed. "Now all we have to is call our bosses."

"And rent a car," Donna added.

Eric grinned. There was something that he had kept secret from Donna for nearly four years. He claimed that he had sold his old high school car when they moved to New York. But, he still paid $30 a month to park it in a garage two blocks away. "Actually, believe it or not, I still have the Vista Cruiser."

"Are you kidding me?" Donna cried. "You told me that you got rid of that car! For God sakes, Eric! That thing is almost 20 years old."

"I know, and I feel bad about lying to you. But I just couldn't part with it. We've had so many memories in there, you know?" Eric was trying to make it sound sentimental, but he still knew that Donna would be angry.

"I know, but this is New York! Nobody needs a car." Donna gritted her teeth. "And yeah we had our first kiss there and it was where I first told you that I love you and we drove around everywhere with our crazy-ass friends and, well, I could go on forever."

"I know, we could ramble on for hours. See, it's more than just some car. It's a vehicle of memories." Eric said.

Donna laughed. "Man, you are good with words too. I guess that we should use the car, for old time's sake. I just hope that it doesn't break down."

"Don't worry, Donna. The Cruiser's always been able to push through." Eric reassured.

"Just like us," Donna added smugly.

"Aww, exactly! Man, this is going to be the best road trip ever!" Eric exclaimed.

After calling their bosses, who were both more than happy to give them extra days off, they packed their bags.

"I just thought of something," Donna announced as she was done packing clothes into her brown leather suitcase. "What if I have the baby when I'm in Wisconsin?"

"Well, you're not due until a month from now. It's unlikely that you'll go into labor this early." Eric rationalized.

"Ah yes, you're right. I was just being paranoid, I guess." Donna shrugged.

"Don't worry, darling. Everything has been okay so far, and things will continue to go smoothly." Eric smiled reassuringly.

After a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, the couple locked up their apartment. Eric carried Donna's suitcase for her. The garage wasn't too far away, but he wanted to be a gentleman.

As Donna got in sight of the car, a smile appeared on her face. "It looks exactly the same as I remember it,"

"Well, I've barely touched it in the past four year," Eric took the keys out of his pocket and grinned. He unlocked the car and put the suitcases in the trunk.

Donna got into the passenger's seat of the car. She took a deep breath, and let a sea of memories flood her mind. She was reminded of the days where she was young and had no clue what she was doing with her life.

Eric got into the driver's seat a moment later. "So, do you like it?"

"Yeah," Donna responded. "It makes me feel like I'm 17 again, which is good and bad. I'm glad that we're older and done with teenage drama. But there are times where I still miss my youth, you know?"

"I know what you mean, honey. But I love the place where we are right now in our lives. We can't be young again, but there are a lot of great things about getting older." Eric said.

"You're absolutely right. Thank you." Donna kissed him on the cheek.

"You're welcome, honey. Now, let's get this party started!" Eric put the key into the ignition. It turned on with a loud roar. "Oh darling, I've forgotten how good you sound."

Eric backed out of his spot and rolled down the ramp into the city streets. He integrated his car into the hectic traffic, and eventually began to flow smoothly along the urban blocks.

Donna had to wrestle with the seat belt in an effort to secure herself. "Ugh, there's no comfortable position for this,"

"Do you need any help? I can pull over." Eric offered.

"No, I've got it," Donna buckled her seat belt. "I didn't know that things would feel this squished."

"Well, you do got quite the bump there, dear," Eric admired Donna's stomach, which was encased in a pink cardigan. "I'm sure you'll be fine. This trip shouldn't be too rough."

"I hope so," Donna caringly put a hand on her stomach.

The first few hours of the trip went smoothly. Besides occasional bathroom and snack breaks, there were no major delays or hold-ups.

They crossed into Ohio by 3:00 pm. At this point, both Donna and Eric were in need of a proper meal.

"Let's stop at McDonalds. I'm starving." Donna stated.

"Are you sure you want to go there? That food is not of the highest quality." Eric said.

"Oh, I know. I'm just having a heavy craving for something sweet." she declared.

Eric raised his eyebrow in a playful manner. "Well I am right here, darling,"

Donna laughed. "Shut up and get me a milkshake."

Eric followed her order. He went through the drive-thru and ordered a chocolate shake for Donna and a Big Mac for himself. Even though he had read about what they did to that food, he was famished as well.

Eric bit into his cheeseburger. It tasted like hair and animal steroids. He practically spit it out in disgust. "Why did I think this was a good idea? This tastes like crap."

"Because you haven't had a real meal since 8:00 this morning, and your body wants something so that it can effectively carry out its organic processes," Donna hypothesized.

"Ah, that sounds about right. You're so smart." He smiled and handed Donna the milkshake. "I'm sure that you'll be better off with this."

"Oh, I will," she grinned slyly at him. "You know, cravings aren't the only reason that I wanted to get a milkshake. There's something I haven't gotten to try yet." she balanced the plastic cup on her bump. "Neat, huh? It's like my own private tray. It's too bad that I only have it for another month."

Eric laughed. "Man, that is awesome! It's times like these where I wish I was a girl."

"Oh honey, you do not want to be a girl, trust me. I mean, as beautiful as it is, it can also be very draining. And we still don't get paid equally." Donna argued.

"Well, that's because people are stupid," Eric stated. "Besides, girls are cleaner and nicer and smarter and pretty much better than boys in every way."

"Wow, way to degrade your own gender. Unless, you're talking about them." Donna put her hand on her stomach.

Eric sighed. "Okay, your hippie boss is right. I want a daughter. I mean, have you seen how much Jackie and Hyde complain about Robbie? And the boys in my class are always the ones that get in trouble. It'd just be really cute to take her shopping and have tea parties and beat up her boyfriends and whatever."

"Eric, that is one of the sweetest things that I've ever heard you say. Honestly, I agree with you. I don't know how well we'd be able to handle a boy. But you know, girls aren't perfect either. She's going to get emotional." Donna said.

"Well, that's better than wanting to shoot something for no reason. Testosterone makes men do stupid things. I will love being able to comfort her when that time comes. Now, drink your milkshake and think about what we should name our daughter." He demanded.

"Okay," Donna smiled. The cup was still balanced on her bump. She tilted her head downwards and took a sip. "Oh God, that is good." She shuddered with pleasure.

"I'm glad that you like it. I haven't seen you this satisfied since my birthday." Eric smirked.

"My, you're extra smug today. And hey, it's not easy for me to feel enjoyment these days thanks to this nine pound alien in my stomach." She rubbed her belly gingerly. "Just kidding. Mommy loves you."

Eric snickered. "Did you just talk to our kid?"

"Oh yeah. Apparently, it's supposed to be good for their sensory development." Donna explained.

Eric bit the corner of his lip. He thought that talking to his unborn child would be interesting. But, there were things that he would rather not say in front of his wife. "Hmm, I like the idea of that. I would love to say something to him or her. Perhaps I'll do that tonight after you're asleep."

"Why wouldn't you do that when I'm awake?" Donna inquired.

"Because I want to say something that's just for their ears. You know, form a bond between father and child. It's nothing bad, trust me." Eric assured.

"I understand, honey. That's pretty sweet of you, actually." Donna complimented. "Speaking of sleeping tonight, we should probably find a hotel soon. I think that we've done enough driving for today."

Donna was right. Even though it was only 4:00, Eric was exhausted. His eyes had glared over from staring at the road all day, and parts of his body were beginning to become numb from sitting. "I was thinking that too. There's a string of motels at the next exit."

Donna smiled. "Beautiful. Let's go."

After finding an affordable Holiday Inn to lodge at, Eric happily put his beloved yet junky car to rest for the day. In less that 24 hours, he would be back in his hometown. This journey had been pleasant so far, and he hoped it would be the same way tomorrow.


End file.
